Greed

From Gordon Gekko to David Hume

Paper $16.95ISBN: 9781908323798
Published
May 2015
Not for sale in the United Kingdom or Europe

E-book $10.00ISBN: 9781908323804
Published
March 2015

In a riveting scene from the film Wall Street, Gordon Gekko proclaims that “greed is good.” The great philosopher David Hume, on the other hand, describes greed as the most destructive of the vices. The recent banking debacle and continuing uproar about executive bonus pay has placed the controversial issue of greed at the very heart of how we view modern society. Is Gekko’s maxim simply in need of some moderation? Or is Hume’s view too extreme?

In Greed, Stewart Sutherland examines these conflicting notions and discusses how we might approach the problem of greed today. He looks at the concept of incentives, which are essential for achieving results, and whether the desire for money is really as dangerous as it might seem. Powerful and timely, Greed is a much-needed look at an attitude that, for better or worse, is an unavoidable driving force in modern society.

The problem David Hume: destructive or creative sceptic? Self-assertion or ‘sympathy’? Stability, Property and Greed So What?Notes

Review Quotes

Times Higher Education

“A brief but powerful look at the history of avarice in society. . . . Haus is to be congratulated for its courage in dusting off the political pamphlet format and publishing a series of essays, short enough to be read in one sitting, in the internet age. . . . Sutherland’s book is an elegantly written aperitif at a rather refined banquet of political ideas.”

Independent

“A dense and thought-provoking read.”

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